Stories

“The First Lady and I have put a stake in the ground to address and reverse the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences in our state,” said Gov. Stitt. “This important, transformative work will develop pathways for children and families to overcome this difficult time. Strengthening Oklahoma’s families has generational impacts and will help us continue our forward momentum toward Top Ten status.”

Community HOPE Centers will utilize community partnerships to provide critical services to families using the science of HOPE as their foundation and will serve children ages 5-18 as well as their adult caregivers.

“The negative effects of childhood trauma are significant and multi-generational,” said First Lady Sarah Stitt. “By providing mental health services, social-emotional learning programs, and educational and nutritional support, these HOPE Centers will be a foundational step to mitigating the negative impacts of COVID in Oklahoma and will ultimately lead to becoming a Hope-Centered state.”

Each Community HOPE Center will have mental health professionals, OKDHS staff, virtual learning tools such as computers and iPads, meals and snacks, a weekend backpack program and other programming available to support families.

Read more about Governor Stitt announces CARES Act Investment, targeting 30 Community HOPE Centers by year end.  

The funds will support the industry’s efforts to deliver safe, essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This supplemental funding will help stabilize the childcare industry as it continues to provide a critical resource for our state in the days and months ahead,” said Stitt.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) will deliver the one-time funds as Child Care Quality and Sustainability Payments to childcare providers who have maintained active status since March 15, 2020.

Payment amounts will be tiered based on OKDHS’s Reaching for the Stars Quality Rating and Improvement System program.

Read more about $9.6 million awarded to over 2,000 childcare centers in Oklahoma.

He visited Fenton Ford, where the primary problem during the pandemic has been getting vehicles to sell because manufacturing plants were closed. Relief funds totaling $25,000 gave the dealership some breathing room.

"It goes straight to expenses," Fenton Ford owner Cindy Carr said. "You can't say anything other than that was great money, and well spent."

Bill Bolin, owner of PowerLift Foundation Repair, said the government relief money is helping him keep keep his employees on the payroll.

"The business had slowed some," Bolin said. "We had some jobs cancel on us."

Stitt said the state set $100 million aside for small businesses after after receiving funding from the federal CARES Act.

Read more about Stitt assesses COVID's impact on Ada businesses.

“Schools are an essential part of our society,” said Gov. Stitt. “It is critically important that they operate safely and effectively for all students. I am committed to providing our schools with the resources and support they need in order to welcome students back to the classroom while also prioritizing their health.”

Based on personnel data and requests from the State Department of Education, the State will be providing the following PPE to Oklahoma schools:

1.7 million reusable masks (two per teacher and student)

42,000 clear face shields

1.2 million pairs of disposable gloves

1.2 million disposable gowns.

PPE will be distributed through the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to regional warehouses across the state for school districts to pick up— with a goal to deliver PPE by August 14.

Read more about GOVERNOR STITT, SEC. BROWN, EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS ANNOUNCE PPE ASSISTANCE FOR OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS.

But Tri County has gone beyond the norm with a flexible, fast-track program designed to accelerate back-to-work efforts by its students.

“Our typical student for this program is 30, maybe a high-school graduate who is unhappy with his or her work status,” said Tri County Superintendent Lindel Fields. The goal is to move those students as rapidly as possible into what Fields calls “gratifying, upwardly mobile careers.”

Students will attend classes—most in person but some online—an average of 8 hours per week with sessions scheduled two nights each week and on Saturday so that those who are still employed can arrange their schedules. One program, for Certified Nursing Assistants, is especially in demand given the pandemic’s impact on the health care system.

Other Skills to Rebuild programs focus on accounting, child development, computer work and cyber-security, and manufacturing. The latter involves machine work and Fields said his curriculum can be condensed to 450 hours from a traditional 900 to 1,000, with no loss of content.

Read more about Innovative CareerTech program getting Oklahomans back to work.

Commerce finalized review of 2,502 applications submitted in Phase 1 of OBRP on Friday, July 17, and began the payment process on Monday, July 20, for the last 309 companies associated with Phase 1 submissions. With Phase 1 complete, Commerce staff is transitioning to reviewing the 2,754 applications submitted during Phase 2. Of the applications submitted during Phase 2, 2,659 of them, or 23.9%, are classified as minority-owned.

“To say I’m proud of the assistance we’ve been able to provide through the Oklahoma Business Relief Program would be an understatement. I believe it highlights what is best about our state – our ability to come together and find ways to help each other during difficult times,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “A total of $100 million over both funding phases of OBRP is now going to help more than 5,000 Oklahoma businesses across the state. We know this is still not enough to help every business that has suffered losses due to the pandemic, but I hope that these efforts can provide the business recipients with assistance to retain employees and maintain operations as our state works to emerge from the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Read more about Commerce Releases Statistics from Second Application Period of Oklahoma Business Relief Program.

Col. Lance Frye, the interim commissioner of health, said they also have the ability to add 125 beds in Tulsa and 95 in Oklahoma City if needed through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

They said the state’s ability to manage intensive-care patients remains strong, as does the state’s supply of protective equipment, such as masks, gloves, isolation gowns and face shields. [The hospital surge plan is made possible due to $100 million in CARES Act CRF designated by Governor Kevin Stitt.

Read more about Oklahoma expands hospital surge plan.

The grant enables Tri County Tech to launch its Skills to Rebuild initiative in partnership with several local employers, according to the news release.

Skills to Rebuild will provide accelerated programs to train 375 individuals to immediately enter high demand, well-paying jobs in the region, generating $10 million in annual payroll in Oklahoma’s private sector.

Students who complete the programs will not have to pay tuition thanks to the CARES Act, according to the news release.

Read more about State grant to fund tuition-free programs to accelerate employment opportunities.

“Until there is a cure for COVID-19, Oklahoma is adjusting to a new normal, which includes our local government services that are on the frontlines of keeping us safe and assisting our must vulnerable populations,” said Gov. Stitt. “Congress entrusted the State with this critical emergency federal aid, and I appreciate the partnership of local leaders who are participating in our thorough process to ensure we are delivering the dollars on target.”

The breakdown of funds awarded by city and county are as follows:

In May, Governor Stitt established the CARES FORWARD team comprised of cabinet secretaries and experts in finance, auditing, and federal grant writing to provide rigorous oversight and to maximize the distribution of $1.2 billion in CRF federal funds provided by Congress.

Read more about GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES $4.2 MILLION CARES ACT TO CITIES, COUNTIES.